Chicago's Gangsterland Ghost Stories Page

Chicago's Gangsterland Ghost Stories Page:

_____________ From: jldavis127@webtv.net (Linda) Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 23:38:37 -0500 (EST) Subject: Red Lion Pub of Chicago RED LION PUB, BIOGRAPH THEATRE, AND "DILLINGER'S ALLEY" by Linda Davis Red Lion Pub, located on North Lincoln Avenue on the north side of the city, is well-known for its menu of steak-and- kidney pie, Welsh rarebit, and fish-n-chips, and the long bar where you can be served beer, ale, and stout, all on tap, along with various other brands from across the sea, in bottles or cans. The atmosphere is worthy of a pub straight from the British Isle, graced with a large fireplace with models of English sailing ships on its mantle. There is also a red phone booth, such as found on the streets of London. If you go upstairs, you will find a smaller bar, candlelit dark booths and nooks, and a weather permitting deck. That's IF you go upstairs! On the landing between floors one and two, you will see a stained glass window with a plaque below it. The owner's father died in Great Britain, and is buried in an unmarked grave, and the window and plaque are a tribute to him. Shortly after this was installed, reports started coming in of paranormal activity. Voices and screams were heard. Women were locked in the upstairs restroom, and unable to unlock the door. Patrons reported of dizziness or lightheadedness when around the window. Some even describe being pushed by an unseen force. Employees have reported of hearing noises in the upstairs dining area, which was closed for the evening. Upon investigation, they discovered the chairs were moved off the tables where they were put for cleaning. The chairs were scattered about the room. Employees have also been tapped on the shoulder when no-one else is there. A young retarded girl, believed to have died in the building, announces her presence with the smell of lavender. Other spirits seen here are a man dressed like a cowboy, a man who walks up the stairs and through the bar, a blonde haired man, and a bearded man wearing a black hat. Across the street is the Biograph Theatre. On the side of the theatre is the alley called, "Dillinger's Alley". Dillinger is said to come out of the Biograph with 2 girlfriends, one of which was the infamous "Lady In Red". Melvin Purvis and the FBI were laying in wait for him. Dillinger stepped off the curb, and ran for the alley. Three shots hit their mark, and he fell to the ground. "Dillinger Alley" has been the site of numerous reported sightings of a blue, hazy figure that would run down the alley, fall to the ground, and then disappear. But is this really Dillinger's spirit? Maybe his spirit roams the stairway and bar of the Red Lion Pub! Maybe Dillinger's story has been told and retold in the Twilight Tales! Just be careful on the landing between the first and second floors! Reference sites: Click on Haunted Chicago, which will take you to the Red Lion Pub and the Biograph Theatre: http://www.prairieghosts.com/homepg.html Scroll down to Locations for story and pictures of the Red Lion Pub: http://www.hauntedchicago.com/index.htm Twilight Tales are every Monday night from 8-10 PM at the Red Lion Pub. Admission is $2 Linda Davis Mon Valley Ghost Research Society http://www.members.tripod.com/~mvgrs

______________________ From: BENP2259@aol.com Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2001 06:21:14 EST Subject: Re: Entry to Guestbook Hello Jamie, I believe she did die on the 10th of March ....Me and my friend drove over to the southside of Chicago and the police were everywhere guarding the entrance of "Resurrection Cemetary" as you might know Halloween the police are out in full force i was also told around this time also police seem to beef up because this was the date she was killed on and people just wait or throw party's to see if they can see her. We came back that night and there was a heavy mist of fog around the cemetary much heavier then normal when we came later on that night around 11:43 pm Saturday night. Beside the heavy fog we saw nothing. But here is the interesting part as you know there is a bar like right next across the street from "Resurrection Cemetary" i heard from my brother who was visting a friend he knows who works there that some of the "Bloody Mary" drink that the bar leaves for Mary at the end of the bar was half full ...usually the drink is filled to the top. Do you think that was "Resurrection Mary" Jamie ?......thanks for the e-mail. Benji

___________________________________ From: "Jay Di Santo" Date: Thu, 08 Mar 2001 02:11:37 -0800
I have visited various sites about ghosts and cemetaries in Chicago. I have never found anything on what was called the "forgotten cemetary". It was located in La Bagh Woods near Cicero and Foster. This is a known area for satanic activity. Once I was walking through these woods and found a small patch of ground that looked somewhat of an unmarked grave. I have also heard of an altar but have never seen it. I don't think the cemetary is there any more. Last time I was there, some development was coming in from the other end and I beleive that it swallowed up the cemetary as well. Also, I was wandering how I could find out any history on Schiller Woods. I once knew people who are now serving time for burying someone alive on the "hidden hill" on the southwest end of Irving Park and Cicero. Any information is greatly appreciated.
Thank you P.S. I was mistaken when I said that the hidden hill in on the southwest corner of irving park rd. and cicero. It is located on the southwest corner of irving park rd. and cumberland. Sorry -- From: VitS4123@aol.com Jay,I live right accross from Schiller Woods and the only thing that I know that the Robinson Indian Grave is at Lawrence and River Road in the Schiller Woods,I also would like to learn the history of the Wood,If you have anymore info or get some Please let me know......Bernie V

------------------- From: Subject: Re: Question Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 20:44:55 -0600 Hi Jamie, Sorry for the delay in my response.
The Peabody mansion was built in the 20's, designed by famous architect Benjamin Marshall (credited for the Drake Hotel downtown) as Peabody's retirement home. The home was a mix of gothic and Tudor design elements that incorporated secret compartments, steel vault doors, single-sided deadbolts on private rooms and two secret passageways that are still untouched. The home itself is said to be built on an Indian burial ground and some artifacts have been found there and are ( I believe) in a museum in St Louis. Peabody unfortunately died before the home was entirely completed. He passed by a major heart attack while on a fox hunt on the property, and was buried where he lay. A small chapel was erected, in fact it was an exact copy St. Francis's personal chapel in Assisi, Italy on the site he died. The chapel is still there but it has been moved on the property and Peabody himself has been relocated. He called the place Mayslake, after his first wife who went nuts and died, but before that (if I am not mistaken) gave him a son and a daughter, and I believe one of them went nuts as well. He had a live in black mistress while married to his second wife , in the home and she is said to have given him an illegitimate child that died. After his death, Peabody's widow sold the property to the Franciscan Fathers monastery that built other buildings on the property and even built a four story retreat wing off the conservatory of the house that had a 100 rooms and a 3 story high gothic chapel. When the Franciscans left they felt the building was probably going to be demolished and the both places suffered vandalism and decay, but the forest preserve purchased the 90 acres of land and the house is now on the National Registry of historic places and holds summer plays and weddings and wedding receptions in the yard. Now that is the readers digest version on the history of the place and there is more, but I need to refresh my memory.
The house is said to hold many spirits, which if you trust your gut, you know are there and some are not friendly. The house is said to have spirits from American Indians, Francis Stuyvesant Peabdy himself, his illigit child, his mistress and his first wife. I have heard from the caretaker that has a standing history with the building that the Monks had a secret exorcism to drive away the Indian spirits because they unearthed their belongs when they built the retreat wing. I have been in the house and retreat wing many times, but not recently, yet you can tell, day or night that there is something in that place. I personally don't like certain rooms and don't care to be in them at all. I had one freaky experience there, while I was coming up the basement stairs, but I would prefer to actually tell you that one person in order to prove it was not over active imagination. But I have felt spirits, had camera malfunctions, had others who knew nothing of the building and are not psychic to pin point rooms of significance, and I even caught something on film. I probably have about six rolls of film of the house and I even videotaped the whole house with a friend. There is definitely more to say and if you are interested and would like to talk on the phone or meet in person, I would be glad to share what I know. My pictures right now are in Sycamore on loan to a friend and I think I might drive out to retrieve them from him Friday afternoon. It is definitely a place worth visiting.
Hopefully my grammar isn't totally screwed up, but this should give you some interest in the house. Like I said if you want to know more I will rattle through my mental rolodex and would be glad to tell you what I know.
Oh btw, I am an interior design major with a B.A. and I work for an architect designing residences and I have acquired some architectural drawings of the retreat wing and a layout of the house. I am also very good at understanding floor plans and this place is simple but really fascinating.
Anyway, talk to you later and take it easy,
Erik

______________________ Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2001 11:26:15 -0600 From: Keith Anderson Have you ever heard of The Granada in Lincoln Park? This now apartment building use to be a hotel. I've experienced many strange incidences there and was wondering if there is some history to this building.

_____________________ From: "michelle-jeff" Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 19:34:26 -0500
other cemeteries in the area of Joliet are green hill (green eye) cemetery-aux. sable cemetery-at green eye there's said to be a Eric draven like figure of a man roaming the cemetery and another boy hanging from the tree in the center with green glowing eyes there's also a little girl people have seen. I myself have seen the man and the boy in the tree. when I saw the man he was leaning against a beautiful grave stone his presence just felt pure pain anguish. I walked up to him and it was the weirdest experience of my life after that my friend at the time screamed cause she saw the boy hanging our car started revving up and we basically ran for our lives we felt we were in danger. at aux. sable gacy buried 2 of his victims in unmarked graves also in the mausoleum satanic rituals go on and down some ways into the woods behind it is a wiccan alter also the foundation and rubble of a real old stone house also people get trapped in there at night it is an evil cemetery also outside the grounds lives a really weird hermit guy its just scary
________

From: Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 18:10:30 -0600 I have always gone out with just a group of friends or on Richard Crowes tour. Any way, I have included a picture I scanned from Crowe's book of the revolving headstone. I have yet to find it, but one of these days I will. Thanks Erik

___________ From: Anne Fescharek Subject: The Hauck Report February 14, 2001 Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2001 08:45:40 -0800 2-14-2001 ************************ THE HAUCK REPORT ************************ Editor: Anne Fescharek CONTENTS - CURRENT PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (Breaking cases and current investigations.) - TRUE LIFE ENCOUNTERS (True stories of paranormal and mystical encounters) - TOURS (Upcoming expeditions into the mystic) - LECTURES/PROGRAMS (Lectures and events on the unexplained) - MEDIA (The paranormal on radio and television) ____________________________ CURRENT PARANORMAL ACTIVITY ____________________________ ILLINOIS: Mount Carroll What happens when you purposely buy a haunted house? Ask Jim and Christina Warfield, proud owners of 'Haunted Ravensgrin Inn'. Twelve years ago they had a concept for a new form of entertainment: A permanent year-round "haunted house". Nothing violent or over the top --leave that to the amateurs-- just good old-fashioned spookiness the whole family would love. After a lot of searching they found their anti-dream home: a very large, very run-down shack that formerly served as an apartment building but then stood vacant. It was perfect! Jim was well into a painstaking, financially draining renovation when visitors began to drop in. These visitors were not just ordinary neighbors, but ex-tenants of the house and they all had something to tell Jim...warnings of strange events and apparitions that drove many of these residents out of the house. Soon strange things began happening to the Warfields and, as Jim Warfield himself says: "I could qualify as a very lazy guy; I bought a Haunted House to make in to a Haunted House!! Jim Warfield says that of the guests they've hosted for the night, about 1/3 of them have left early, 1/3 of them have had a normal, uneventful stay, and the remaining 1/3, although they make it through the night, the next day say they had very realistic dreams when --they're quick to add-- they never have realistic dreams! Sometimes the dreams would be terrifying, some times they would just be interesting. Learn more about this very unique place by visiting their website: www.hauntedravensgrin.com or writing to ravensgrin@galatinriver.net. _____________________

From: "Suzette Lane-Boyd" Subject: RE: hauck report Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 13:53:33 -0600
I have other experiences I would like to tell you about and you are more then welcome to use them on your page. You can edit it if you need to shorten it. Let me know when any of them are up on the site. I would like to see it. The first one happened about a month and a half ago. One night my husband and I were laying in our bed on a Saturday night. I got up to go to the bathroom and I had a weird feeling like someone was watching me. I did not think anything of it because I get that feeling right before my granny visits me. I love when she visits me because she looks so happy and so peaceful. When I came back to bed I woke my husband up and he had to get up and go. All of a sudden he froze; his face turned white and all he could say is that someone was here. I asked him who did it look like and he told me a man a little shorter then him with a white glow around him and long hair. I told him that there was nothing to be afraid of that this person was not going to hurt us. For him to just go ahead and go to the bathroom and come back to bed and go back to sleep. He told me that he was too scared that he could hear the man trying to talk to him. He jumped back into bed and told me that he needed to hold me that he did not know what the spirit wanted. When he asked who was here we both heard the name Leon. The only person that we knew with the name Leon is one of my uncles but he is still alive. We just laid there in bed when he began walking towards our bedroom. We had something sitting in the kitchen floor that we had forgot to move. I think it was a tool box or something like that. "Leon" then kicked the toolbox and made a loud crash. We both jumped when we heard that. I kept telling my husband that there was nothing to be afraid of. My husband started praying for us to be safe. Just then we both heard a voice tell us that there was nothing for us to be afraid of that he was here to protect us. My husband then said that he felt the spirit touch his face and tell him to go to sleep everything will be okay. I then felt someone rubbing my head telling me not to worry for me to sleep and next thing I knew I said "Thank you" out loud. When I said thank you the room lit up like it was daylight. It was so pretty. Unfortunately I did not see anything else until I woke up at 6:30 the next morning. I called my mom to tell her what had happened and she told me that it was either mine or my husbands guardian angel coming to warn us about something that is going to happed but to tell us that everything will be okay. Sure enough on Dec. 28th, 2000 my husband was involved in a bad accident. I was driving behind my husband and someone cut him off. He swerved to avoid that person and flipped our van onto its left (drivers side). He was not wearing a seat belt at the time. When I saw it happen I thought he was dead. I ran up to the window and yelled at him. He opened up his eyes and all I kept saying is you have to get out. Please get out. He looked at me climbed up and stood on the drivers side window. He told me that he needed me to hold the passenger door open that he could not get out. The van laying on his side is 6ft tall not to mention how tall the door is also. I am only 5'4" with shoes on. Something must have lifted me into the air and held onto me because that night I was able to hold the door wide open and I remember being on my tiptoes but I was not standing on anything that I could see. My husband got out of the van and all he had wrong with him was a small bruise on his right thigh. The van was okay except for a few scratches and frame damage that happened from the tow truck flipping the van back over. The van was totaled because of the frame damage but other then that there was nothing wrong with it. A couple of nights later we saw "Leon" again. I told him thank you and he just smiled at us.
The other time was at my aunts house in Peoria. My uncle had just passed away. My husband (my boyfriend at the time), my mother, and I were sitting at the table playing monopoly. It was about 1:30 in the morning. We heard noises in the basement. At first we thought that someone had broken into the house. We were sitting at the table when the door leading to the basement opened up. No one walked out. My husband sat there frozen with fear. He could not talk, move, nothing. I kept asking him what was wrong. I told him that it was my uncle and he would not hurt him. I said hello to my uncle and introduced my husband to my uncle and my husband just said that he saw a man standing there. He said that when I introduced him to him he waved and smiled. I then felt someone hugging me and I looked and saw my uncle hug my mom. He told us that he loved us and looked at my husband and told him welcome to the family. My husband and I were not even thinking about marriage at the time. He must have known something we did not at the time.

---- From: MollyMEOWS@aol.com Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1998 20:48:29 EDT Subject: la llerona please ad to your story that this woman drowned her three young childern and this is the reason for her showing up by the little cal river. she is often spotted when a child is deathly ill and it is said that she comes to take the souls of children. ------------

From: "Chris Pfeifer" Date: Wed, 30 Jun 1999 22:09:46 -0500 Subject: Re: [ChicagolandGhostClub] Axeman's Bridge From: "Chris Pfeifer" Jenn- I am from Crete, IL., and I have been to Axeman's Bridge. It used to be a popular drinking spot when I was in High School. However, I never saw or experienced anything there. I'm not disputing your story, I just found it interesting to see Crete, IL. to come up on one of my email lists. I also know the "satanic church" you talked about. I have heard several tales of people being chased off the property by cloaked and hooded figures, and off dogs heads at the end of the fence posts. However, I looked into this and found that many of these stories were untrue. The reason this church is considered satanic is because of a supposed "upsidedown cross" on the church's roof and blackened windows. The blackened windows are a fact. The upsidedown cross is disputeable. I checked it out through binoccculars and it showed that the cross was more of a Celtic Cross, almost like a plus sign, so it could go either way. Oh yeah, and according to their board outside they offer Sunday School. :) There is also a strip of road in Steger, IL. where a small boy has been reported riding a tricycle during violent thunderstorms. And of course, there is Bachelor's Grove in Crestwood. -----Original Message----- From: Jennifer Kiel To: ChicagolandGhostClub@onelist.com Date: Wednesday, June 30, 1999 4:46 PM Subject: Re: [ChicagolandGhostClub] Axeman's Bridge >From: Jennifer Kiel > >< > >No, Jenn, I haven't heard about the bridge in Crete, IL. Would you be >willing to share what you have heard about it? > >Love, >Loving >http://expage.com/page/psychic1 >icq 14720822>> > >Hi Everyone! >Ok, for everyone who has been asking, here is my account of Axeman's. > >In the late 60's or early 70's, a man built a house in the middle of the >woods in the township of Crete, IL. He lived in this house with his wife, >mother-in-law, son and daughter. He was a hunter, had a dog and numerous >horses. There were reports of domestic fighting/problems, and frequently the >police had to break up the disagreement. One night, he decided he had had >enough. He took his mother-in-law and daughter to the I-beam bridge that >made up part of the driveway. He axed them to pieces. The same night, he >axed his wife, son and the dog on the bridge that is on Old Post Road. The >police never found him or his body. As far as I know, it is only assumed >that it was him. From this night on, strange things have occured >occassionally at Axeman's Bridge. If you catch it at the right time, you can >hear him and his wife arguing loudly and her screams. The dog will chase you >off the property. You can see the house lights, and the house was torn down. >Certain parts of the house still remain. The I-beam bridge is still there, >though deteriorating badly. There is a deer hunter's tower. One >night, we got there and didn't see anything, so we decided to visit the >horses (The people that bought part of the property have horses in his old >pasture). One came up to me, I reached out to pet it, and my hand went right >through it, and the horse disappeared. You can hear the sounds of an axe >hitting the bridge and people running throught the forest. Sometimes just >driving on the road and over the bridge, you get the feeling that you are >being watched. After my first time there, I had that feeling for the next >few nights. If you park the car on the bridge, the car will usually stall or >have some sort of weird problems. A friend and I were out there last year, >and we parked off the side of the bridge. The whole way home the doors kept >locking and unlocking and the windows kept going up and down. Another group >of friends and I took a Ouija board out there. The ghost of the Axeman (his >name is James) "told" us that he knew who I was and that the rest were >strangers who were not welcome there. There are other things also, but that >would take up too much time. Oh, there is also a supposed Satanic church >near-by, but I don't know the details or if it even exists or not, but they >supposedly do rituals in the woods. > >Jenn > >p.s. Thanks Jamie for setting up the list this way! Makes it much easier! >

Looney Graves
To: ghostlly@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 01:03:48 -0400
Subject: Looney Graves
From: Daniel O Phillips

When I was a student at a college in Kankakee, IL we would often go and visit an old graveyard called the Looney Graves. At the Turn of the Century the State would bury unclaimed patients bodies in the graveyard.
The Graveyard closed in the mid 1950's. Now it is a scene right our of the horror movies. A friend and I went out there one warm September night to goof around and scare the girls we had taken with us. I was walking about 20 yards ahead of my buddy when I took a step and it was cold as ice. I took a step back and it was warm. I waited for my pal to catch up with me, when he did we both took a step forward at the same time. Sure enough, Cold as ice! We be lined it out of there. If you live near Kankakee, Il, You have to check it out! It is just past Shapiro Hospital!
The Looney graves are open all the time, at least they were when I was there last, 6 years ago. They are hidden from the road by a long and large privacy fence. I don't know the name of the road, but if you stop in Kankakee and ask at a gas station how to get to Kankakee Community College they should be able to tell you. It is on the same road Kankakee Community Colleges is on. You will know when to turn because you will see some softball/baseball fields on the left side of the road. If you turn there you can't miss it! One again, it is blocked off by a large privacy fence, but you can walk around the side of the fence and it will take you about the middle of the graves. It really is worth seeing and experiencing.

Anyone having more information about chicago haunted sites Email me at ghostlly@yahoo.com in the meantime.
Please come back soon and visit me.

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